Respirator-mask.



F. L. MILLER.

RESPIRATQR MASK. APPLICATION FILED No'v.29,1916.

Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

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F. L. MILLER.

RESPIRATOR MASK.

. APPLICATION mp0 Nov. 29. 916.

1,288 Patentd Dec. 24,1918.

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application me November 119 Serial No. 134,090.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FLorn L. MILLER, a

- citizen of the .United States, residing. at

Idaho Springsyin the county of GlearQCreek and State of Colorado, have invented certain new andus'eful Improvements in Respirator Masks, of which the following is a specifica tion, reference being had therein to theacconNlipanying drawing.

y invention relates to improvements in respiratorimasks, and more particularly to-' such a device adapted to be worn-by the, operator -of .a' high speed mining; drill." When a high speed rock drill is run underdry conditions in a mine ,'-;a"suifocating dust is generated which has mining operationsgin 'niost metalliferous mines is poisonous resulting ma large number of fatalities, especially where copper,

silver, lead, and arsenical minerals are being minedi The invention herein is adapted to supply fresh air from the surface for the operator of the'drill which is free from. dust and poisonous gases.

Another object of the present invention 1 is to devise a respirator mask having its air supply constructed and arranged in such a manner that it is. readily attachable to the air supply of a pneumatic rock drill.

The mask and air supply pipes, hereinin the following. description and drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved mask showing its application to the' cap and face of the user and the attachment of the air supply pipe to a pneumatic rock drill.

'Fig. 2 is a front elevation showing the mask applied to the face of the user.'

Fig. 3 is a verticalsectiona-l view of a hose coupling arranged in the air'- supply pipe of the mask and servingthe purpose of a safety valve.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of an air filter arranged in the air supply-pipe to the mask. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of Fig. 4:.

an attachment ,drill.

Referring now to the drawings in detail de work jheretof forein many instances 'il'npossible. Fur .thermore, the .dust'and 'gases'generated 1n is an enlarged perspective view, a rtly n section; of a plug carried one end ofthe air supply pipe and serving as. means to a pneumatic rock inwhi'ch like reference numerals designate.

1 represents a mask composed of rubber which. is of a size to extend across the face Specificati'on of LettersI fatent. Patented Dec. 241:, 1918, V

similar parts throughout the several figures,

and from below the eyes to a point just I labove lthelzmouth of the wearer. In some instances, where breathing is-done through the mouth, the mask may bejlonger and extend to a'point below the mouth as is, 1

shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. I

The edges. of the rubber mask 1, are

.formed .of small rubber tubing 2, which meet at the two uppermost corners of the -mask at the'point 3, to form one short section of tube 4. A pipe 5 is connected at one-end to the short sectionof the tube 4:,

by means'of clamps 6, the other end. of the pipe 5 being connect/ed'to afilter 7, hereafter to be described. The pipe 5 passes through an eye 8, formed in a U-shaped bracket 9, which fits on top of the cap of the wearer. The filter 7 is mounted upon a piece of band metal 10, which'is connected at the point 11, to the center of the top of the U-shaped member 9." It is to be understood that there 'aretwo pipes 5, one extending along each side of the face of the wearer,

as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. Due to the arrangement of the 'U-shaped member 9 and the member 10 on the cap of the wearer, the pipes 5 being carried thereby and connected to the upper corners of the mask form one means for holding the mask in position on the face of the wearer. Leather straps 12 having their ends connected to the lower corners of the mask 1, are buckled together by a strap 13, which passes around the back of the neck of the wearer and serves as an additional means for holding the mask 1 in place.

. The portion of the rubber tubing 2, which passes around the bottom edge of the'mask A is provided with a plurality of openings 14,

which feed air inside the mask 1 and to the nose. of the wearer. Slits 15 are made in the mask on each side of the nose of the wearer forming exhaling openings. These openings are covered with a covering 16 sewed or made fast to the mask at its upper and lower edges, the side edges being unsecured and providing an outlet for the air exhaled through the slits 15. In order that the air fed to the mask may be moistened to a slight-degree, sponges 17 are fitted within the mask in the depressions between the nose and check of the wearer. These sponges also serve as pads to make the maskfit more comfortably upon the face of the wearer. Due to the fact that there are two sections of hose 5, between the filter 7 and the mask, should one of these hose break, in an emergency, the end of the broken hose could be plugged and air supplied to the mask through'one pipe 5. In such a case the mask is held in place upon the face by means of the straps 12 only.

The filter 7 consists of a box-shaped bodyportion'which has extending flanges 19 at its top and bottom edges which form attach'ing means to the band metal support 10. The interior of the filter is filled with an absorbent substance, preferably of sponge for the purpose of filtering oil and other foreign substances from the air which passes therethrough on its way from the air-supply to the mask 1. Air enters the filter through an opening 20, formed in a bush- The filtered air passes out through'pipes 22, arranged adjacent the lower edge of each side of the filter. The pipes 22 are each provided with hose couplings 23 for connection with one end of each hose 5.-

A long air-supply pipe 24 has one end 25 fitted wlthin the opening 20 communicating with the interior of the filter, and its other end provided with a screw threaded plug 26,

which is tapped into the main air supply 27 of a pneumatic'high speed drill 28. As

air is supplied to the drill for operating it, air is also supplied to the pipe 24, which feeds air through the filter 7 and pipes 5 to the mask 1,. which is worn by the operator of the drill. In this way, though the atmosphere around the drill and its operator may be charged with dust. and poisonous gases, the operator may work in comfort being always supplied with fresh, clean, air from the surface above the mine in which he is working.

As is well known to those skilled in this art, drills of the character herein referred to are provided with a telescopic air feed and in operation the drill steels often break and the drill is then shot upward to the full stroke of its feed which moves the drill casing, to which the air supply is connected, a considerable distance. In such a contingency should the air supply pipe 24 by any chance, he, beneath the feet of the operator, encircling the drill casing or taut Supply 1 3324 is cut and a detachable con nection is fitted fbetween the severed ends.

This connection comprises a cylindrical The other-end of the cylindrical member 29 fits within an opening 32 made in a tubular I casing 33, which is provided on its other end with coarse threads 34, which are threaded within thev other end of the air supply pipe 24 and held therein by means of a hose clamp 35. A frictional connection is made between the cylindrical member 29 and thecasing 33, which comprises a groove 36 cut around the end of the member 29, which projects within the casing 33 1A vertically movable spline 37 has one end fitting within the groove 36 and is slidably movable with a guideway 38 formed in atubular extension 39 made integral with the casing 33 and extending radially thereto. A; collar 39 is made integral with the spline 371adjacentits lower end for limiting the downward move-- ment of the spline. A screw threaded ad justing nut 40 having an opening 41 therethrough to receive the upper end of the spline 37 is screwed Within the upper endof the tubular extension 39. A coil spring 42 surrounds the spline 37 between the collar 39 and the lowertend of the adjusting nut 40.

By screwing down on the nut 40 the Spring 37 is put under varying tension and thereby regulating the tension of the frictional "contact betwe n the spline 37 and the groove 36. An air passage 42 is formed through therenter of the cylindrical member 29,

which communicates at one end with the pipe 24 and at its other end is pluggedwithj an adjusting screw 43, having an extension 44, the purpose of which will be hereafter i set -iorth. A diagonal bypass 45 is made in the member 29 connecting thepassage 42 and the interior of the opening 32, within the cylindrical housing An air passage'46 is formed through the center of the extended end'of the casing 33 having one end communicating with the air supply pipe 24,

and at its outer end communicating with a reduced portion 47 of the opening 32, with-' The ball 49, its adjustable seat 51 and the adjustable unseating mechanism 43 together, form a pressure regulating valve for the under high pressure that is supplied through purpose of regulating and reducing the air the pipe 24 from the air supply 27 to the drill. Were-it not for this pressure reducing'valve, the air under very high pressure for operating the drill would be fed to the mask 1, which of course'would be a great shock on the wearer, and in order to reduce the pressure of this air to the proper degree, the ball 49 and its cooperating parts are provided. Attention is called to the fact that the adjusting nut 43 is readily accessible for adjustment when the two telescoping members 29 and 33 are separated.

The-separable connection, above described, in detail, operates as follows: Air is fed from the drill 28 to the pipe 24, which conveys the said air through the passage 46in the casing 33, and past the unseated ball. -valve 49, through'the openings 52, 32, by-

pass 45 and opening 42 into the pipe 24, which feeds the air to the filter 7 and thence to the mask 1. The amount of air passed through thedetachable. connection is regulated by the distance the ball 49 is held unseated as is readily understood. Should the drill steel break and a heavy strain be put upon the pipe 24, the end of the cylindrical member 29 will be pulled out of the opening 32,'within the casing 33, forcing the spline 37upward against its spring, and breaking the air connection between the passages 42 yand 46. As soon as the member 29 is de-- tached, carrying the ball unseating extension '44 with it, theair pressure in the passage 46 Will'seat the ball.49 and prevent air from v escaping. As soon as the drill 28'is repaired and set up for further operation, the member 29 is fitted within. the openingl32 in the casing 33, the spline 37 dropping into the groove36 and holding the two members 29 and,33 together. At the same time the extension 51un'seats the ball 49 and 'ai'r is at oncesuppliedthrough the passage heretofore described, to the filter 7, and thence to the mask.

When the mask herein described is to be used for mine rescue work, the plug 26 car ried by one end of the air supply pipe 24,

is tapped-into a light air tank containing compressed air, the user of the respirator.

Having thus described my invention,

what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: a

1. A respirator comprising a flexible mask arranged to cover the nose of the wearer, a flexible air supply pipe extending along one edge of the said mask and having perforations therein for supplying air inside of the mask, and means for holding the mask in position upon the face of the wearer. t 2 A respirator comprising a flexible mask arranged to fit close to and coverthe nose 0f the wearer, an air supply pipe attached to the mask along one edge thereof and hav- 50 which tank is carried by" ing openings therein for supplying air-to,

the interior of themask, a supporting member attached to the head of the wearer, said air supply pipe attached to the said support,

and means for holding the mask in position on the face of the wearer.

3. A respirator comprising a mask arranged to cover the nose of-the wearer, a pipe attached. to the upper'edge of the mask, a pipe attached tothe side edges and bottom edge of the mask, said pipes meeting at the two upper corners or the mask and joined into one pipe forming an outlet at each corner of the mask, the pipe extending alon the bottom edge of the mask being provided with a pluralityof openings,

a support-mg member attached to the head of the wearer, twoair supply pipes attached to the said support and having one i oft-heir ends connected to the upper cor- 

